Quality management is one of the most important aspects of any business. Ensuring that your products and services meet customer expectations is critical for success.
In order to ensure quality management in your organization, you need to have a solid quality management plan.
In other words, when you launch a new project in the workplace, the first step is to develop a comprehensive strategy. It may be helpful to implement a quality management plan, which promotes competent communication, customer satisfaction, and stakeholder appreciation.
In this blog post, you will learn what a quality management plan is and how to develop a solid one for your business.
What is a quality management plan?
A quality management plan (QMP) is a document that helps the project manager and the project team execute quality management and quality assurance actions. Quality, in the context of project management, is fulfilling the project requirements and meeting the customer’s needs.
An overall project plan will include a quality management plan, which describes the activities you will apply throughout the project’s life cycle to meet its quality objectives.
Follow these steps to produce a QMP for your project management team:
1. Define your organization’s quality
Your quality management plan must systematically define the activities needed to obtain the results you desire. Visualize the ideal results of the assignment, and designate goals that consider the interests of your stakeholders and the capabilities of your team. Understanding what quality means to you can enable you to develop a plan that accomplishes it. For example, if you’re building a software program, then you might define quality as fast-performing and easy to navigate. Your QMP includes troubleshooting the speed of the product and designing an interface with aesthetic appeal. Once you’ve established the definition, ensure your team understands it clearly.
2. Set your team responsibilities and delegate
Your workers are responsible for the quality of your company’s products. An essential element of a quality management plan identifies the areas of responsibility for each of your company’s key activities and establishing accountability. So, the second step is to determine which team member is responsible for specific tasks. Factor in their industry experience and technical skill set to entrust duties that cater to their strengths. For instance, if you have an experienced software developer on your team, then you might assign the code writing to them. You can also appoint your testing engineer. Survey your colleagues to find a professional who can remain impartial when delivering feedback to their peers and knowledgeable to sustain quality throughout production. Delegate your tasks according to the timeline the client or stakeholder emphasized.
3. Make a list of the needed materials
Another component of the QMP is a list of the materials the team may need to provide quality outcomes for the project. It may be beneficial to research technology that can make production more efficient. For example, your plan may specify applications that can streamline time management or store documents. You can also require your staff members to seek tutorials or training programs that show them how to operate the equipment before the project starts.
4. Set the approval process
Collaborate with your testing engineer and stakeholders to develop a set of criteria for the project to be complete. Refer to your definition of quality to design the rules. You can also set requirements that reflect the features your consumers may wish to see in your product. Share the approval process with your team at the start of production. Professionals can learn how their assignments contribute to the overall quality of the product. They can also strategize how to manage their time to acquire approval before the client’s deadline. Make the criteria specific to avoid confusion during testing.
5. Implement periodic testing
The testing protocols require staff members to review how their product works. Your QMP can implement periodic testing throughout production, which can assure the quality of one part before the team transitions to another step of the plan. For example, after designing the navigational menu for a website, the QMP informs employees to test the accessibility of every webpage before they add additional content. Your evaluation procedures may depend on the project’s type and the steps involved. Consider inputting a diverse set of tests in your QMP to encourage quality from every angle.
6. Consider shareable document
The final step of QMP creation is organizing your materials in one document that’s available to your team. You can invest in project management software that can record your progress and remind you of upcoming deadlines. It may also be helpful to share color-coded spreadsheets or instruction manuals that detail the steps for the assignment. Use simple language and formatting that allow employees and stakeholders to understand the content of the QMP. You can also maintain access throughout production so your team can refer to their requirements when necessary.
